Bobcats Cycling Team One Day Closer to Road National Championship

May 08, 2010

MADISON, WIS. -- The Lees-McRae College Bobcats cycling team got
one step closer to winning the 2010 USA Collegiate Cycling Road
National Championship with two solid races in the men's and women's
criterium.

On a windy day, the Lady Bobcats took control of the race from
the start in the nearly 80 rider field. Carla Swart and Erica
Zaveta finished in the top ten. Swart, who won the DI women's Road
Race National Championship on Friday, finished in second with
Zaveta taking ninth. Rachel Warner finished just outside the top
ten with a 12th place finish, and Cinthia Lehner finished 30th.
The Lady Bobcats team held the lead on the UC-Davis, who started
the day in second for the overall national title, and put the
pressure on the men's team in their criterium.

In the men's criterium, the Bobcats stepped up and held off the
the other teams in the top five including finishing just ahead of
UC-Davis. The team had three riders in the top 30 with Nathan
Larson, Eric Thompson and Joseph Welsh finishing 25th, 27th and
29th respectively. Zachery Felpel finished 47th.

Lees-McRae (281 points) holds a ten-point lead over Marian
University (271 points) heading into the final day of competition
on Sunday -- the team time trial. UC-Davis, who was in second
after day one, slips down to fifth with 206 points. Fort Lewis
College sits in third with 226 points and Midwestern State
University is in fourth with 215 points.

In the individual omnium, Swart holds a commanding 79-point lead
with a total of 335 points. Swart is looking to three-peat as the
Division I Omnium Individual Road National Champion. In 2009,
Swart became the first collegiate rider to win the individual
omnium national championship in all four disciplines.